Integrated voicemail and faxmail platform for a communications system

In a telecommunications network, a method performed by an automated response unit comprising the steps of:

• receiving a call from the telecommunications network;
• determining a telecommunications service request based on a call;
• establishing a communications link with an electronic information message server;
• transferring subscriber information or requested service data to the message server, wherein the requested service data corresponds to the telecommunications service request, wherein said transferring provides single telephone number access to multiple services on behalf of a subscriber to the services;
• receiving validation based on the subscriber information or requested service data;
• and
• providing the call to the message server.

In a telecommunications network, a method performed by a message server comprising the steps of:

• establishing a communications link with an automated response unit in response to a call received from the telecommunications network;
• receiving subscriber information or requested service data, wherein the requested service data corresponds to the telecommunications service request associated with the received call, and wherein said requested service provides single telephone number access to multiple services on behalf of a subscriber to the services;
• determining whether a subscriber account is satisfactory based on the subscriber information or requested service data;
• and
• providing a confirmation message to the automated response unit if the subscriber account is satisfactory.

In a telecommunications network, an apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of telephony network interface servers, each interface server being coupled to receive voice and facsimile messages from the telecommunications network;
• a plurality of routing hubs coupled to the plurality of interface servers;
• a centralized mass storage device that stores subscriber accounts, each account for storing the voice and facsimile messages for at least one subscriber, wherein each account stored in the mass storage device corresponds to a single telephone number assigned to each subscriber;
• and
• a plurality of management servers each coupled to the mass storage device and the plurality of routing hubs, wherein at least one management server routes incoming voice and facsimile messages for storage in accounts within the mass storage device.